


Operation RinAi

by squirrelmort



Category: Free!
Genre: Confession, M/M, RinTori Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2014-08-07
Packaged: 2018-02-12 03:12:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2093529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squirrelmort/pseuds/squirrelmort
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nagisa enlists Rei to convince Rin and Nitori to finally confess to each other. Written for Day 6 of Rintori Week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Operation RinAi

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place before Eternal Summer because I actually wrote most of this back in May and just never got around to finishing it until now. Oops.

Nagisa sat down at Rei’s desk and pulled a notebook and pen from his bag. The determined look on his face surprised Rei—he had never seen his boyfriend look so eager to study. Normally the first thing he did when he arrived was flop down on Rei’s bed and complain about school. “Okay, Rei-chan,” Nagisa said, opening his notebook. “It’s time to plot out Operation RinAi.”

Rei sighed. _Of course his determination had nothing to do with school_. “And what, may I ask, _is_ Operation Rinai?”

“Our plan to get Rin-chan and Ai-chan together, of course.” Nagisa responded, writing “Operation RinAi” at the top of the page, and “Phase 1” beneath it.

“They spend plenty of time together,” Rei commented, setting his school bag on his table. “They are roommates, after all.”

Nagisa rolled his eyes. “I meant romantically.”

“What makes you think either of them want that?”

Nagisa finally turned to look at his boyfriend, who was busy hanging up his school blazer. “Seriously? Have you met them?”

Rei couldn’t argue there. “Fine. What makes you so sure they need our help? Wouldn’t it be better to let them work things out on their own?”

 “Seriously? Have you met them?” Nagisa laughed. “I’d rather they confess before Rin graduates.”

“Which gives us just over a year,” Rei said sitting down in his spare chair and adjusting his glasses, face shifting from exasperated to intense. “What’s the plan?”

Nagisa smiled and turned to his notebook. “First we have to confirm they like each other.”

“I thought that we already knew that.”

“Yes, _we_ know. I just need to make sure _they_ know.”

**Phase 1: Confirmation**

 “Ok, phase one begins today,” Nagisa said, quickly changing from his swimsuit to his street clothes. They had just finished a joint practice at Samezuka—Nagisa had told Kou about their plan a couple days ago, and she just happened to ask Captain Mikoshiba when they might be able to have another joint practice. “I’ll grab Ai-chan. You go talk to Rin-chan.”

“Wait, I thought you were going to talk to Rin-san?”

“Why would you think that?”

“You know him so much better than I do! I don’t know what to say to him.”

“I know you’ll think of something. You’re very smart.”

“But I’ve already decided what to say to Nitori-kun,” Rei protested. He had planned the whole thing, but leave it to Nagisa to mess up those plans.

“You just want to be alone with the cute one.”

“I—no—You think he’s cute?!”

Nagisa giggled. “You’re much more beautiful than he is.” He quickly leaned up to kiss Rei on the cheek before adding, “Now we’re running out of time.” Raising his voice, he grabbed his stuff and called out, “Ai-chan!” and hurried over to the boy who had just finished drying his gray hair.

 _Ai-chan?_ Ai thought raising an eyebrow at the perky blond who suddenly materialized at his side. “Can I help you, Nagisa-san?”

“Yes! I need to ask you something.” There was a pause while Ai waited for Nagisa to ask whatever was on his mind. Nagisa glanced around. “Let’s go to your room.”

“Why?”

“Come on.” Ai barely had time to grab his bag before he was dragged out of the locker room.

Rei watched them go from the other side of the locker room, trying to decide how to approach Rin.

Getting him alone was easy enough. Pretty much everyone else had finished changing, but he had hung behind with Makoto to help coax Haru out of the pool (as the days got colder, getting him out of the water was harder). He had made it to the locker room just in time to see Nagisa and Ai leave. Slipping on his shirt and toweling off his hair, he walked over to Rei. “Yo, Speedo-Glasses.”

“Can you stop calling me that! I wore a speedo once, and it wasn’t even mine!”

“Just once?” Rin raised his eyebrow.

Okay, there were also the times he had used Nagisa’s penguin speedo at Iwatobi, but Rin had no reason to know about that, and there was the other speedo he had just bought because Nagisa said it would look cute, and Makoto had told him he had nice legs, and… _wait, why am I justifying this to myself?_ “That’s not the point.”

Rin rolled his eyes. “Anyway, what did Nagisa need Ai for?”

“Uh… he had to ask him something.” Rei really was not good at making up excuses.

“Something about what?”

“I don’t know.” Rei decided honesty his best bet. “He said something about Nitori-kun being cute and then ran off with him.”

Rin smirk suddenly disappeared, his face suddenly turning to an expression of shock and… jealousy, perhaps? Rei could only hope. “Nagisa said Ai is cute?! I thought he was dating you.”

“He is…”

“And you just let him run off with Ai?”

Rei shrugged. “Have you ever tried to stop Nagisa from doing something?”

“Shit,” Rin breathed, whipping his towel off his head. “Where did they go?”

Rei decided to press his luck. “Why do you care so much?”

“Because… Ai is my roommate. I need to protect him.”

“Do you think Nagisa is going to attack him or something? And I think he can protect himself.”

“But what if…” Rin dropped his head, and in a whisper continued. “I don’t want those two to be left alone because… because I like Ai, ok?” He took a deep breath. He had never admitted that before. Not even to himself, really.

Rei adjusted his glasses to hide his smile. “I think they went to your room.”

“Thanks, spe—Rei.” Rin started to leave, before adding, “By the way, don’t tell anyone what I just said.”

“Of course, Rin-san,” Rei answered. _Except Nagisa-kun_ , he added silently.

Rin shook his head and ran off, knowing that Rei would certainly being texting Nagisa immediately.

* * *

 

Nagisa waited until they reached Ai’s room. “You like Rin-chan, right?” he asked as the door closed behind them.

“What?!” Ai squeaked, blushing.

“Let me try again—do you like Rin-chan?”

Ai swallowed. “Rin-senpai is… um… nice. I mean, he—he helps me with my English homework, and he is a very considerate roommate…”

This was going to take longer than expected. “But do you want to date him?” Ai said nothing, settling for looking at the ground instead. “Come on, Ai-chan. I promise I won’t tell him.” Nagisa bent down so that Ai was looking at him instead of his feet.

Ai raised his head. “Yes, I like him.”

“I knew it!” Nagisa clapped. “You should tell him.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“We’re roommates! If I tell him, he’ll leave.”

“Not if he likes you back.”

“But he doesn’t.” _What goes on in that boy’s head?_ Ai wondered.

But before Nagisa could respond, his phone went off. It was a text from Rei. “ _Rin says he likes Nitori. And told me not to tell anyone._ ”

Smiling, Nagisa sent back “ _Phase 1 complete :)_ ” He put his phone back in his pocket and said, “You should tell Rin. He likes you.”

“Is that what your phone said?”

“… No,” Nagisa lied. “It was just Rei. But trust me.”

Ai frowned. “But…”

“Ai!” Rin threw open the door before Ai could protest. He was breathing heavily, having sprinted all the way to his room.

“Senpai? Are you ok?”

Rin glanced at Ai before narrowing his eyes at Nagisa, he smiled innocently. “Nagisa, what do you want?”

“Nothing. See ya!” He walked past Rin, then turned to wink at Ai and add, “Remember what I said,” before leaving.

**Phase 2: Confession**

Nagisa and Rei met up outside Samezuka Academy. “So what’s the next step?” Rei asked.

“We wait for them to confess.”

“We just wait?”

“I told Ai-chan that Rin likes him. This shouldn’t take long.”

“So you just expect him to confess right away?”

Nagisa thought for a moment. “You’re right. We should encourage Rin, as well. Give me your phone.” Rather than wait, Nagisa just reached into the pocket he knew Rei always kept his phone in. Rei considered asking why Nagisa didn’t just send the text from his own phone, but decided there was much point and just waited while Nagisa typed out the message.

* * *

 

Rin and Ai just watched Nagisa leave. “Rin-senpai, you have weird friends.”

 _No shit._ “What did he do?”

Ai swallowed. _Just ask if I like you_. “Nothing!” he answered.

Rin raised an eyebrow. “What did he say?”

 _That I should confess_. “Nothing.”

“So you just stood here in silence.”

Ai swallowed again. “Yes.” He turned and went to sit and his desk, opening the first book he saw.

“Ai.” Rin was very unamused by his roommate’s refusal to answer.

“I have a lot of studying to do.”

Rin walked over and looked over his shoulder. “Which is why you are reading the dictionary.”

“… I had to look something up.”

Rin sighed and turned to lean against Ai’s desk. “I was talking to Rei. He said that Nagisa thinks you’re cute.” He grinned. Ai was so adorable when he was embarrassed.

“I have a crush on you,” Ai said, eyes locked firmly on his dictionary.

“What?” Rin had not been expecting Ai to respond.

“Nagisa thought I should confess. I’m sorry.” When Rin didn’t respond, Ai looked up and met Rin’s surprised gaze. “Please don’t hate me. I’m sorry.”

“Why would I hate you?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You should’ve said something.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I like you, too.”

“I’m…” Ai trailed off, staring at the older boy. Was he blushing? “So Nagisa was right.”

 _Dammit, Rei_ , Rin thought, moving to sit on his bed. _Whatever. Nagisa probably already knew. That little shit is smarter than he looks_. “Yes, I suppose he was.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Ai asked, turning his chair to face Rin.

“Why didn’t you?”

They both just stared at each other. Finally, Ai broke the silence. “So, does this mean we should, like, date?”

Rin’s face turned even redder. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Ok.”

Luckily, Rin’s phone buzzed before he had to say anything. A text from Rei. “ _You should tell Ai-chan you like him ;)_ ” Rin rolled his eyes. Make that a text from Nagisa on Rei’s phone.

“ _Already done.”_ He sent back.

**Phase 3: Dating**

Rin was about to put his phone back when he got another text. “ _YAY! :D Now we can go on double dates. Are you free Friday? We should see a movie._ ” Rin sighed and put his phone away.

“What was that?” Ai asked.

“Just Nagisa.”

“Ah.” The silence returned. “So, I guess we should actually go out sometime.”

“Want to see a movie on Friday?” Rin asked, unable to think of a better idea.

“Yeah, that sounds good!” Ai smiled.


End file.
